Short Database Report
Database Species-Area Relationships in Palaearctic Grasslands Jürgen Dengler, Salza Todorova, Thomas Becker, Steffen Boch, Milan Chytrý, Martin Diekmann, Christian Dolnik, Cecilia Dupré, Gian Pietro Giusso del Galdo, Riccardo Guarino, Michael Jeschke, Kathrin Kiehl, Anna Kuzemko, Swantje Löbel, Zdenka Otýpková, Hristo Pedashenko, Robert K. Peet, Eszter Ruprecht, Anna Szabó, Ioannis Tsiripidis & Kiril Vassilev Abstract: The Database Species-Area Relationships in Palaearctic Grasslands (GIVD ID EU-00-003) is an initiative of the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and primarily functions as repository for all data sampled during the EDGG Research Expeditions. During these expeditions two types of highly standardised sampling of dry grassland vegetation in the Palaearctic realm are carried out: (i) nested-plot sampling on squares of 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 m²; (ii) additional normal relevés of 10-m² plots. For all plot sizes, the terricolous vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens are recorded that are superficially present (shoot presence). Additionally, for all 10-m² plots species cover is estimated directly in percent and a wide range of topographic, soil, and land use parameters is determined. Five such expeditions have been carried out so far (2009: Transylvania, Romania; 2010: Central Podolia, Ukraine; 2011: NW Bulgaria; 2012a: Sicily, Italy; 2012b: N Greece). Additionally, the database contains similar nested-plot data from published and unpublished sources covering dry grasslands in Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The vegetation classes Festuco-Brometea and Koelerio-Corynephoretea prevail, but there are also some data from Mediterranean grasslands. Presently, the database contains data from 402 nested-plot series plus 325 separate 10m² plots. Data from future EDGG Expeditions will be added and we are open to add other nested-plot data from any type of grassland in the Palaearctic. This huge collection of nested-plot data is very valuable for the study of species-area relationships (SARs) in grasslands and how their function types and parameters (e.g. the z-values of the power-law SARs) depend on grassland type, region, and taxon considered. The 10-m² plots from the EDGG Expeditions (from inside and outside the nested plots) are an important contribution to consistent large-scale classifications as they were sampled by using a uniform plot size, recording also non-vascular plants, and consistently determining a set of plot-based plot-based environmental variables. The dataset will be available to the scientific public based on individual arrangements. Keywords: biodiversity; bryophyte; dry grassland; European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG); Festuco-Brometea; KoelerioCorynephoretea; lichen; Mediterranean grassland; scale dependence; soil data. GIVD Database ID: EU-00-003
Last update: 2012-07-22
Database Species-Area Relationships in Palaearctic Grasslands Scope: The database collects the data resulting from the sampling of species-area relationships (SARs) in grassland communities in the Palaearctic. The core features of the database are the complete data from the EDGG Research Expeditions, but similar data from other studies are also included. Main features of the majority of relevés are: (i) they are part of nested-plot series (typically 0.0001-100 m²), (ii) bryophytes and lichens are treated comprehensively; (iii) detailed soil and other environmental data. Status: emerging Period: 1949-2012 Database manager(s): Jürgen Dengler (
[email protected]); Salza Todorova (
[email protected]) Owner: European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) Web address: [NA] Availability: according to a specific agreement
Online upload: no
Database format(s): Excel
Export format(s): Excel
Online search: no
Publication: Dengler, J. (2009): A flexible, multi-scale approach for standardised recording of plant species richness patterns. – Ecological Indicators 9: 1169–1178. Plot type(s): normal plots; nested plots Plot-size range: 0.000001-900 m² Non-overlapping plots: 727
Estimate of existing plots: 1,000
Completeness: 73%
Total plot observations: 7,202
Number of sources: 23
Valid taxa: [NA]
Countries: BG: 9.9%; CH: 3.0%; CZ: 12.3%; DE: 7.4%; EE: 2.2%; GB: 0.4%; GR: 2.3%; IT: 6.3%; NL: 0.4%; RO: 8.5%; RU: 7.9%; SE: 9.2%; UA: 30.0% Forest: 0% — Non-forest: aquatic: 0%; semi-aquatic: 0%; arctic-alpine: 0%; natural: 0%; semi-natural: 100%; anthropogenic: 0% Guilds: all vascular plants: 100%; bryophytes (terricolous or aquatic): 81%; lichens (terricolous or aquatic): 81%; algae (terricolous or aquatic): 81%; non-terricolous taxa (epiphytic, saxicolous, lignicolous): 16%
In: Dengler, J., Oldeland, J., Jansen, F., Chytrý, M., Ewald, J., Finckh, M., Glöckler, F., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Peet, R.K., Schaminée, J.H.J. (2012) [Eds.]: Vegetation databases for the 21st century. – Biodiversity & Ecology 4: 321–322. DOI: 10.7809/b-e.00115.
321
Environmental data: altitude: 100%; slope aspect: 69%; slope inclination: 69%; microrelief: 53%; soil depth: 40%; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 61%; soil pH: 47%; other soil attributes: 48%; land use categories: 72% Performance measure(s): cover: 100% Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 80%; point coordinates less precise than GPS, up to 1 km: 20% Sampling periods: 1940-1949: 0.4%; 1990-1999: 6.2%; 2000-2009: 44.8%; 2010-2019: 48.6% Information as of 2012-07-25; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-00-003
Jürgen Dengler* (
[email protected]) Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants (BEE), Biocentre Klein Flottbek and Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, GERMANY Salza Todorova (
[email protected]), Milan Chytrý (
[email protected] ), Zdenka Otýpková (
[email protected]) Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137 Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC Thomas Becker (
[email protected] ), Michael Jeschke (
[email protected]) Department of Geobotany, Faculty of Geography and Geosciences, University of Trier, Behringstr. 21, 54296 Trier, GERMANY Steffen Boch (
[email protected] ) Institute of Plant Sciences and Botanical Garden, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, SWITZERLAND Martin Diekmann (
[email protected]), Cecilia Dupré (
[email protected]) Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 11, 28359 Bremen, GERMANY Christian Dolnik (
[email protected] ) Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Ecology Centre Kiel, Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Olshausenstr. 40, 24098 Kiel, GERMANY Gian Pietro Giusso del Galdo (
[email protected]) Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, University of Catania, via A. Longo, 19, 95125 Catania, ITALY Riccardo Guarino (
[email protected] ) Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale e Biodiversità, University of Palermo, via Archirafi, 38, 90123 Palermo, ITALY Kathrin Kiehl (
[email protected] ) Vegetation Ecology and Botany, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Oldenburger Landstr. 24, 49090 Osnabrück, GERMANY Anna Kuzemko (
[email protected]) National Dendrological Park 'Sofievka', National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 12a Kyivska str., 20300 Uman', UKRAINE Swantje Löbel (
[email protected] ) Department of Plant Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, SWEDEN Hristo Pedashenko (
[email protected]), Kiril Vassilev (
[email protected] ) Department Plant and Fungi Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23 Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 1113 Sofia, BULGARIA Robert K. Peet (
[email protected]) Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, 27599-3280 Chapel Hill, NC, UNITED STATES Eszter Ruprecht (
[email protected] ), Anna Szabó (
[email protected]) Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Republicii Street 42, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA Ioannis Tsiripidis (
[email protected]) School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, GREECE *Corresponding author
322
Biodiversity & Ecology 4
2012
